Griffin V6 possibilities - the return to civilisation ?

[Border Raider DK]

Hello Chaps

After a couple of years in the 4x4 wilderness I’m about to return to civilisation.

My neighbour is selling his ’95 Griffin V6. 225000 km, reasonably tidy and standard apart from an open 50 mm pipe replacing the rear silencer. Had a quick look today, and am going for a motorway cruise and a “B” road thrash tomorrow.
The “check engine” LED is on all the time.

<blockquote>Can the ECU be reset just like my old Stealth 1990 2.3 CD?
Is the oil cooler (heat exchanger?) an issue?
What other Griffin V6 weak spots should I be aware of?
Anyone have first hand experience of chipping a V6 ?</blockquote>

Regards to the old-guard, and all you new folks.

David
Denmark
On the border (but not over the edge)

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Check timing belts and tensioners have been changed - the tensioners break the belts if they go.

Check RHS front of rocker cover and the semi circle plug for an oil leak - it can drip onto the exhaust - a favourite place for the gasket to let loose.

Really check the antifreeze has been changed every two years, as the oil cooler site between the two heads, and the seal can go.

The ECU can be reset by disconnecting the battery, or doing an adaption run like you would with the turbo variants of the 9000. Adviseable, as the Quad rams do get lazy with prolonged town use.

HTH

[microcat36]

Good advice from Chris, as for the check engine light, check the plug wells for oil, the rocker cover gaskets are notorious for leaking into the plug wells and they usually fill with oil, which sets of the check engine light, use a trigger from a spray bottle, stick the tube down the plug hole and spray the waste oil into a container, then wipe any oil of the leads, take it for a run and boot it and the check light should go out.
You don't have to do an adaptation run, just take the battery lead off for 5 min, making sure you have the radio code first and then take it out and boot it through the gears, the Motronic ECU is self learning.
As far as tuning is concerned, i have the cams from a 3.2 Omega, which the Griffin shares it's engine with, they have a different cam profile with a higher lift, you can get your ECU chipped by Motorsportworld, it gives you a 15/20bhp boost, with the cams you end up with around the 240/250 bhp, the 3.0 V6 was set up differently set up from the Vauxhall, the Dual Ram system has a different set up and they have more power than the Vauxhall as my three have all been on the 220 bhp as standard, on rolling roads, compared with the Vauxhall, which has 210 bhp.
Get yourself a vauxhall Omega Haynes manual, as they cover the engines well, watch out for air cleaner as it is a pig of a job, as the there is no room to work in and unlike the 2.5 vauxhall, you can change the back bank of plugs on the Saab, on the 2.5, you have to take the inlet manifold off.
If you need any help. give me a P.M.

Motorsportworld

[Border Raider DK]

Thanks mates!

Wouldn’t know what to do without your help. On the nose responses. Thanks again.
Regardig the oil cooler seal - is it difficult to fix? And I’m a bit lost on one point. Can you explain “dual” and “quad ram” terminology?
When I Google (-dodge) I get the following hits:

<blockquote>Accelerate Your Mac!

Naval Forces / Navy | Defence Talk Forum, 700rnds/minute and very simple to operate,

And this</blockquote>


Thanks Google.

Chris: Any joy with your alternator yet?
Microcat: Thanks for the offer. I may send a PM when I've tried your spray bottle technique, and hopefully negotiated a price tomorrow evening.

And last but not least. What would a similar Griffin cost in the UK? It has a "MOT" (TÜV) from May 2007.

Cheers
David

[microcat36]

I think Chris's is a mistype, i think he means Quad Cam, the V6 has 4 camshafts and 24 valves and the 3.0 V6 has a "Dual-Ram" intake manifold, which lets the car breathe as 2 3-cylinder engines below 4000RPM, but changes the intake manifold profile at 4000RPM to increase the runner length, thus increasing total engine output, it gave the engine more torque at lower speeds and let it breath better at higher speeds.